A Family Force 5 Halloween
by Stoplivi
Summary: Written for my good friend RayBanCoolness. Olivia and Lauren are just two maids at the Gatsby Hotel. Family Force 5 happen to check in for a few nights. The girls are excited, but the fun is interrupted by the horrors of the haunted hotel.
1. Arrival

If you're in the Charlotte area, expect traffic until 10:00 this evening. For more details, please contact traffic control at 511.

More details weren't required. It was plain to see that around the turn there had been a horrible crash that was blocking most of the westbound lane. If it weren't for the next exit, then Olivia would be sitting in traffic for the next hour or so. Ignoring the honking of the other cars around her, she made a pass around a transfer truck and cruised by the guard railing. She was already late.

"Ugh, c'mon, I need to get going!" she shouted at the red light hanging above the intersection. Finally it changed and she sped off, making a sharp right towards the towering Gatsby Hotel.

When she pulled into the back lot, she noticed that half of the regular night shift staff were absent. Her friend Lauren had pulled her car by the kitchen door. Unfortunately she also spotted their manager, Elma, taking out the garbage. Of course she never missed a day of scolding the staff on how they made the beds or how they washed the drapes. Being a maid was difficult, but it paid the bills.

Olivia slipped in through the back, made her way through the kitchen and raced past Elma's office by the service desk. It was time to change into uniform and get to work. While she slipped into her navy blue button-up and matching skirt, she noticed the women's lockers were becoming more and more rusty every day. It was possible since the showers were just around the corner, but then again, it just seemed a bit unusual for the rust to be growing that quickly. The hotel was already around 90 years old, having been opened in the early 1920's.

Grabbing her tools and cart, she made her way towards the elevator, but not before glancing down the lobby as a large bus pulled into the lot. It looked familiar. The elevator doors opened when she finally recognized it as the tour bus for Family Force 5.

"Oh my gosh." Olivia stared in amazement as the doors closed before her. "Lauren has to know."

Lauren, hard at work on scrubbing the floors of Room 305, was humming to herself as she scrubbed to the beat from her iPod. 305 was famous for being the choice smoking room, and in the past, older gentlemen had smoke their pipe tobacco and the tar was forever encrusted into the tile. Everyday the grime would return, despite her deep cleaning.

She just finished and put her music away when she heard a shout coming from down the hallway.

"Lauren! Where are you?"

She popped her blond head out of the door. "Hey, I'm right here."

"Oh good. C'mon, I want you to see something." Olivia grabbed her friend's hand and led her to the window that overlooked the lot below. "Look there." She pointed out the front end of the bus where the logo of the AP 2009 tour still was screaming through the grill.

"No way!" Lauren practically squealed. "Why would they stop here?" she turned back to her friend to find her halfway down the hallway, sprinting towards the elevator doors. "Hey wait!"

Down in the lobby, the elderly desk clerk, Edmund, was reading over the day's paper. News about the crash had spread quickly. The details were a bit vague, as it seems like the passengers were not present at the site. It was if they never existed. The old man snorted under his breath as the desk bell rang, startling him. Before him, a short, scruffy man stood patiently, surrounded by five other young men.

"Can I help you?" Edmund coughed.

"Yeah, we'd like to book three rooms. All kind of near each other, if you don't mind." Solomon Olds smiled.

"Yes, sure thing." He glanced at the faces of the other men, judging them over their scruffy appearances. He was always a clean-cut sort of man.

While the group waited for their room keys, the two girls were spying from around the corner, holding their breath at the sight before them.

"They're even more beautiful in person." Olivia breathed.

"You saw them at the Charlotte show about 4 months ago. Besides, it's their backsides."

Olivia grinned. "I know."

They heard Edmund hand over their room keys and instruct them on where to go and what time breakfast was served. They hated the nasty look that he was throwing them.

"C'mon, let's follow them." Lauren made the first move, but not before Elma, who did not look the least bit happy, stopped them. Just another day.

"And where do you two think you're going?" she huffed, towering over them in all her large glory. Her uniform was stretched awkwardly across the folds of her fat.

"We were just heading up to finish cleaning 305, ma'am." Lauren interjected, smiling politely.

"You better be! The rest of the staff didn't even bother showing up for work tonight! Well, they'll definitely be getting a pay cut. Get to work, then!" she stormed off towards her office.

Olivia and Lauren ran for the elevator, clutching their dusters tight in their shaking hands. Elma was not a force to be reckoned with.

On the twelfth floor, the boys were beginning to unpack their things, tossing their coats on tables, across the beds, and anywhere else that had previously held a clean surface. Their manager stepped into each room and gave them a brief rundown.

"Alright, guys. Isaac will be up in a minute with the camera equipment. Chad's bringing up his suitcase now. The rest of us will be on the bus at the Holiday Inn just a mile into the city. Cool?"

Jacob ducked a pillow being tossed at him by his twin brother, Josh. "Wait, why are you guys staying at another hotel? We've got this one right here."

"Hey, we've got to get away from you guys sometime. Isaac's just stuck with you. Poor guy." he gave a nonchalant shrug and left.

"Wow. We're not that bad!" Jacob gave a shout after him, and was then finally smacked upside the head with a goose-feathered pillow.

In the room over, Solomon was riffling through his belongings, searching for his cellphone. He must have left it on the bus. Oh well. He'd just call his wife and son at home later that evening from the lobby.

Next door, Nathan and Derek were hovering over the coffee machine, attempting to start a brew to warm themselves. Not a moment later and their friend and cameraman, Isaac, stepped into the room, clutching his luggage in one hand and his camera in the other.

The elevator doors down the hall opened, revealing the two young maids, both grinning with excitement.

"Wait, we're acting like little girls. This is weird."

Olivia gave a hesitant nod. "This is stupid. We're young women. We're not teenagers anymore."

It was quiet for a moment before Lauren spoke up. "So, now what?"

"I guess we should get back to work. We can always see them later. But I really don't want Elma to catch us not doing our job. I can't afford any more screw ups."

"Me either. Let's go."

They turned back to the metal doors and pressed the key to return to the third floor. The arrow above the doors ticked slowly towards the right before it stopped, did a complete reverse, and stopped once more.

"What's up with that?"

"This place is old. It's just acting up." Lauren pressed the key once again.

The arrow refused to move. Just as Olivia was prepared to kick the doors in frustration, the arrow dropped towards the bottom floor. A high-pitched screaming followed after, causing the girls to jump and cover their ears. It was horrible. The floor beneath them began to shake, along with the walls, causing paintings and decorative mirrors to come crashing around them.

Then, there was the silence that followed.

They turned to one another, horrified at what had just occurred, and made to pry open the doors. Once the doors slowly eased on their tracks, the pair glanced down the shaft, shocked to find a cloud of smoke billowing up from below. All was quiet, save for the pricking of the sparks that were bouncing off the metal tracks.

"Um..."

Just then they heard running footsteps coming up from behind. They spun around and nearly collided into the boys of Family Force 5. They looked just as equally concerned.

"What was that?" Solomon questioned, visibly shaking.

"W-we don't know! It just happened!"

"Out of nowhere!" Olivia added quickly.

"Let me see." Nathan stepped between them and peered down the dark shaft. There was nothing but the darkness, as if the shaft never stopped. "Oh, we got a problem."

The others crowded around for a look while the girls stood back, their emotions running wild. They were quite frazzled, but were excited at the fact that they were sharing a hallway with their favorite band.

Isaac, still holding his camera, nervously raised it onto his shoulder and spoke above the crowd.

"Well, looks like I can start filming now."


	2. The Calm Before the Storm

Solomon shoved Isaac's shoulder, a wild look of panic across his face. "This isn't the time to kid around, man. This is serious!"

Olivia stepped forward, feeling compelled to calm the singer down.

Isaac simply brushed the puny man off. He was used to dealing with his little tantrums. But even he had to admit that this was a grave situation. "Sorry, man."

"It's okay..." Sol felt himself calm down a bit as he looked across the faces of his fellow band-mates and the two maids who were hovering off to the side. Wait a minute... He totally forgot they were there.

"Hey, you two work here. Are there any stairs or something?"

Lauren spoke up first. "No, this place was built in the '20's. They never installed stairs."

"You're kidding." Everyone looked to Josh, who had not said a word until now.

"What kind of place doesn't have stairs?" Solomon pressed, his temper flaring a bit more.

"Sorry, but we don't. Honest. Look around." Olivia did not really appreciate his tone, but understood that everyone was feeling a bit shaken right now.

While everyone tried to get a grip on the situation, Isaac stepped back and lifted his camera, pressing a specific button to start recording. The red light flashed above the lens.

"C'mon, just calm down." Nathan laid a hand on Sol's shoulder, shaking him a bit to hopefully knock him out of his funk. "We'll figure this out."

Suddenly the floor shook again, sending Olivia falling over into Josh and Lauren into Derek. A few seconds later, the shaking stopped and everyone was again left feeling disoriented. When the girls came to, they jumped back, quickly apologizing for their clumsiness.

"So it looks like as of now, we're stuck." Isaac piped up from behind the camera.

Down below, the lobby was covered in plaster and the air was thick with a fine white mist. Edmund, who had fallen from his seat, lied dead along the floor, suffering from a heart attack once the elevator had snapped from its cord and crashed headlong into the basement below. Elma, who had been cooped up in her office, managed to fit herself beneath her desk in an attempt for protection. For now, she lay sprawled out along the floor, unconscious.

Besides the obvious damage, everything else seemed to be quiet. The Gatsby was not a popular hotel, and other than the staff, the only other occupants were the band and their camera guy.

Outside, it was if nothing had ever happened. The cars on the passing interstate continued on their way, moving much faster now that the lanes were finally clear.

Olivia looked out window at the end of the hall. She could still see the bright lights of the city below. There was no rush of police cars or fire trucks, or even an ambulance. Hadn't someone heard the commotion? Was there a fire in the basement?

"Hey." Josh stepped to her side, just slightly towering over her.

"Good God." She clutched at her chest. "Don't sneak up on me like that."

"Sorry." He removed his shades and slid them into his back pocket. "I wanted to ask, is there like a phone we could use or something? Solomon left his on the bus and mine's dead as a doornail."

Taking a step back, Olivia remembered there was a phone at the other end of the hallway. "Yeah, there's a phone down there." She pointed, making sure not to stare up into his charming brown eyes. She was a sucker for him, for sure. Even Lauren knew.

"Cool. Thanks." He gave a light smile and headed back towards his friends.

Lauren passed him and made a funny face to Olivia, who in return, noticed and gave her a scowl. "What?"

"Nothing." The blonde grinned.

"Oh come off it. Now's not the time."

"But there's always time for looove—" Olivia turned back to give her a stern stare. Lauren quickly dropped her goofy smile.

Back down the hall, the guys were huddled on the floor in front of the elevator doors. Isaac had stopped recording, due to the lack of any interesting activity. Josh had gone ahead and was trying to work with the out-of-date phone. He might not have been great with technology, but he sure did wish that he were holding a Blackberry or something right about now.

"Great. Now what?" Solomon threw his hands in the air, still a bit flustered, but was minding his snappy attitude.

"We wait." Derek shrugged.

"We can play a game." Jacob piped up. He was clutching a bag of Peanut M&M's and was color-coding them across the floor.

Nathan watched with concern. "Dude, you know the floor's not clean, right?"

"I beg to differ!" they turned to look up at a pouting Lauren, her hands on her hips.

Nathan raised his hands in defense. "Oh, no offense meant, but—"

Olivia sat back against the wall. "Don't bother, we know what you mean. Lauren just takes this job too seriously."

"I'm just proud of my work, is all..." she joined the small group, stretching her legs across the dark violent carpeting.

Jacob smiled at her and rolled a blue M&M her way. She gladly picked it up and thanked him. "You guys never told us your names." The drummer said through a mouthful of candy-coated peanuts.

"Oh, yeah, I guess we haven't." Lauren sat upright, tapping her nametag. "I'm Lauren."

Olivia waved a hand. "I'm Olivia."

"Cool. Well we're—"

"We know." The girls chimed in unison, giving them big smiles.

"Awesome! So you guys are fans, right?" Solomon was finally able to get his happy attitude back now that he had the chance to impress these two lucky girls. Isaac rolled his eyes from behind the group and continued messing with his camera lens.

Lauren was ecstatic for the opportunity to show off just how much of a fan she really was. "Oh totally! We're probably your biggest fans!"

A bit embarrassed by her friend's outburst, Olivia flinched. "We're just huge, huge fans, really. I swear we're not creepy." She thought back to their many Twitter conversations.

Solomon waved it off and continued to press questions. "So, who's your favorite?" he winked dramatically, obviously implying that it had to be him. It was him, right? Right?

The two looked at one another and fumbled with their words, blushing red.

Thankfully they were interrupted as Josh returned, a scowl working its way across his handsome face. "Guys, the line's dead."


	3. Creak

Derek felt his stomach drop at Josh's words. How could the line be dead? The power was still running, albeit he was a bit surprised at that, due to the elevator snapping and probably nearly destroyed the hotel foundation.

Solomon voiced the same question. "How can the line be dead? The power's still on!"

"I don't know, they just are. Go see for yourself if you don't believe me."

"Fine, I will." Sol rose to his feet and passed by his younger brother, roughly knocking into his shoulder. Derek was confused at his friend's attitude, but he merely shrugged it off as a bad case of shaken nerves. He had been doing fine a second ago.

As the group sat in the still silence of the hall, the young guitarist began to think to question what was happening around him. Were these just strange coincidences, or was their something fishy behind all this? A sudden question popped in his head, so he figured he would ask the girls.

"Hey," he leaned forward, suggesting he was directly speaking to the employees. "This might sound like a weird question, but, is this place haunted?"

Everyone looked towards them and waited for an answer.

"Not that we know of." Olivia shook her shaggy hair. "This place is old, but we've never experienced anything unusual before."

"Nothing like this." Lauren added.

Derek accepted the answer, and it seemed like everyone else did, as well.

"Well guys, I've got to film something." Isaac piped up from his spot along the wall. He was cradling his camera in one hand and clutching a new pack of batteries in the other. "Why don't we just film some of the dialogue for the next Really Real Show? Like the close-ups, or something."

"Sounds good to me." Nathan stole of Jacob's M&M's, earning him a disgruntled look from the drummer.

They heard the soft sound of footprints quickly approaching and looked back to see their fearless leader coming back in a huff. "Josh is right. Phone doesn't work."

"Told you."

Olivia laughed at Josh's retort. He smirked a bit before being slapped upright his noggin by the back of his fuming brother's hand.

"Hey, if you don't mind, could be in an episode? Since we're stuck here with you guys..." Lauren asked Isaac, making her eyes as big and innocent as possible.

"If that's okay with you, of course." Olivia finished politely.

"Sure, why not. We'll just set up over—"

The floor suddenly creaked. Everyone held their breath. Another creak came from down the hall, towards where the telephone was connected—

The phone lay along the carpet, red and blue and green cables spouting from the broken mouthpiece.

"G-geez, Sol, what'd the phone ever do to you?" Jacob spoke up, joking nervously at the idea that his brother had broken the phone during his little tantrum.

"I didn't do that."

It was if everyone was afraid to speak. From behind Olivia, Isaac was filming, zooming in on the broken phone, and then swinging his camera back towards Solomon to catch his frightened expression.

"Oh God." Olivia choked, feeling the air tighten in her chest. This was the kind of thing she only heard about in the old black and white horror films. Next she expected to hear the muffled pounding through the thin walls like in The Haunting. That terrified her more than anything.

"So, maybe someone else in their room? Maybe they just—"

"Maybe they just what, Jacob, got pissed at the phone and decided to smash it wide open?" Josh snapped. He wasn't too keen on the idea of something supernatural or some berserk killer running around behind their backs.

Jacob kept silent. Pitying him, Lauren placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Isaac, are you really filming?" Nathan looked back to their cameraman He simply nodded in return and pointed to the glowing red light. "Really? Right now?"

"I told you, man, I've got to get something."

"So now what?" Derek figured they could all just hide out in one of their rooms. Of course he would invite their new friends since he really couldn't bear to leave them alone under these creepy circumstances.

"I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm going back to my room and locking the door. This is freaking me out." Josh stood, adjusting the black cap on his head.

"I'm coming, too." Olivia jumped up. All eyes were on her. She mentally slapped herself for her stupid outburst, but she wanted nothing more than to be protected and held up in a room with her favorite member. Wait, that didn't come out right—

"That's fine."

Everyone looked back to Josh, eyebrows raised. What was up with that?

"Of course I am, too." Lauren stood by her friend, giving her a questioning look. Olivia meekly shrugged her shoulders and blushed.

"We all should." Isaac steadily held his camera as he too rose up. The others followed and Josh led them towards his and Jacob's room, 1207.

"This is pretty freaky, huh?" Derek leaned back towards the camera, giving the lens a forced smile.

Once inside, Josh locked the door behind them. Now he silently prayed that Jack Nicholson wouldn't come chopping down the door.

Jacob took a seat on the bed he had earlier called dibs on. It was soft and comforted him in a way. Solomon sat at the foot of the mattress, staring down at his hands. He was the last one to touch the phone. He didn't remember anything from before. His hands were now shaking.

Derek and Nathan occupied the chairs at the desk, quietly talking amongst themselves. Not sure where to sit, Lauren and Olivia sat by the windows, not saying a word. Lauren was afraid, she could admit that much. She was pretty tough in her own eyes, but she had her weak moments. Olivia was waiting for the next sound or the unwanted touch of something brushing against her. Anything at this point could set her off. She wanted to close her eyes and fall asleep.

Isaac allowed his camera to continue filming. He sat by Solomon, giving a comforting pat along the back to remind him that if he needed anything, his friends were there for him.

"I don't remember anything, man. I can't even remember touching the phone." The singer's voice shook.

Josh crossed the room and stole the seat just by Olivia. He reclined back, running a large hand across his face. He could seriously use some sleep, since the others made him drive the remaining five hours, but with all of the strange activity, he couldn't allow his poor nerves to get their rest.

"Thanks for this, by the way." Olivia spoke quietly, with Lauren nodding her head for emphasis.

"No problem."

"Yeah, we weren't about to leave you guys out there with the...ghost thing or whatever." Derek smiled, hoping to brighten their spirits a bit. It was very effective.

"Nah, we were just going to use you girls as a sacrifice or something. Make it go away." Jacob added, laughing and waving his hands about.

"Yeah, I don't know about that. We'd probably make it even angrier. I mean, look at us! We're already scary enough in these maid uniforms!" Lauren joined in on their little banter, making Olivia and Nathan laugh. Even Josh couldn't help but chuckle.

Isaac was next with "I could have filmed it and sent it in to the guys who made Paranormal Activity. Only it'd be even better. We're not paid actors!"

Everyone's spirits had been lifted a bit, all except for Solomon.

"I'm glad you all find this funny! I can't remember jack about anything anymore and you're all acting like a bunch of idiots..."

"Look, we're sorry, bro. We're just trying to keep our heads, you know?" Jacob gave Solomon a big hug. For a brief moment even he managed a small grin.

Just when Derek was about to initiate a group hug, the faint sound of a creak at the door made everyone stop with baited breath. There was a long groan of the floorboards, as if a heavy weight were suppressing it.

Olivia let out a cry as they all watched the doorknob twitch.


	4. Lock In

Staring in horror at the twitching brass knob, Olivia felt overcome with a sense of dread. Was she the only one who noticed there was no shadow coming from the crack under the doorway?

The doorknob finally ceased its jerking movements and the air was still once again.

"I'm not moving from this spot." Solomon clutched at his jacket, releasing a shaky breath.

They waited for someone to make a move, but no one was certainly jumping out of their seats.

"I'll check." Eyes followed Nathan as he made hesitant steps towards the door. Keeping away from the door as much as possible, he leaned in and peered through the small peephole. "Nothing."

"Are you sure?" Lauren called out.

"Definitely." Nathan jumped back just in case anything decided to suddenly pop into his view. He had seen way too many horror films to know how that usually worked out.

"But that's crazy. We all saw it move!"

"Good thing Josh locked the door." Derek huddled closer to the desk, wrapping his coat around him tighter.

From across the room, Jacob noticed Olivia trying to comfort her shaking friend. What was her name again? Oh that's right, Lauren. The little blond girl was shivering in her poor excuse for a uniform. It was October, shouldn't they have more efficient clothing than pencil skirts and short-sleeved button ups? And good lord he just now noticed how horrible the outfits really were. His grandmother could have picked out something better than that, God rest her soul. Leaving his brother in Isaac's care, he crossed the room and took the empty spot on the floor at Lauren's side. Olivia looked up, a bit surprised, but the drummer only gave her a wink and turned his attention to the trembling maid.

"It'll be okay, I think." He tried his hand at consoling her. Olivia found herself rolling her eyes and shaking her head in dismay. At least he was trying.

Lauren of course looked up at Jacob with a bright smile on her flushed face. Well that was a drastic change.

Olivia decided it was best to leave the two alone and pushed herself back to sit beneath the table. She nearly bumped into Josh who was now propping his acoustic bass guitar over his knee, strumming lightly over the chords. The tune was very familiar, and suddenly she found herself humming along with the lyrics.

"'_And I Love Her_?'" she smiled, looking up to watch his fingers glide across the strings.

"You like The Beatles?" he asked, not really taking his eyes off the chords.

Olivia nodded. "Yeah. I love that one." She swayed along with the melody, relaxing her body. Josh took notice and started to play the song once again.

"You got to play that now?" Isaac sat at his other side, zooming the camera lens to record the bassist's playing.

Without missing a beat he answered, "Calms me down."

"Sounds more like you're setting the mood for something." Jacob leaned over from Lauren's side and winked. Lauren giggled at Olivia's red face.

Nathan watched from across the room, slightly ignoring Derek's story about a horse race and an axe murder. He really wished we weren't coming in and out of the conversation. It was beginning to confuse him.

"So that's why I bet all of this is going on. His spirit is in this hotel. The racetrack isn't far from here and—"

"Derek, please. I really don't think this place is haunted. Besides, I don't believe in all that."

Looking a bit disappointed, Derek stopped sharing his story and decided to keep his theories to himself from now on. Nathan noticed his friend's sudden change in attitude and apologized. "Sorry, man, it's just...I'm a bit worked up right now. I keep praying to myself that this is just some crazy accident."

"I understand."

Lauren hesitated before stopping her conversation with Jacob to ask an important question that had been bugging her since they crammed themselves into the room. "Guys, we can't stay here forever. At one point, someone's going to have to go outside and call for help."

"Phone's busted." Solomon added.

"Yes, I know that. But we could shout out of the window, maybe climb down to the balcony below and find a working phone down there—"

Again Solomon had to but in. "Line's dead."

"Ugh, that's right. Well, someone has to know we're here! Your manager, Chris, didn't he mention something about being just down the road at another hotel?"

Jacob raised an eyebrow. "How'd you know that?"

Olivia ran a hand over her face to hide her shame. "We heard him talking to someone on the phone about that when he got on the elevator to leave."

"Stalkers, yo." Solomon laughed.

"They're supposed to pick us up in the morning." Derek commented, remembering they were to be up and ready by 8 sharp for breakfast at Denny's.

"So what you're saying is...we're stuck here until the morning?"

"Looks like it."

Through the silence Josh continued strumming, but this time the tune was unfamiliar, and left an eerie feeling to linger in the air.

Jacob felt his stomach rumble. He needed to find some food, quick.

"Anyone got any food on them?"

"You just had a bag of M&M's." Nathan pointed out. He seriously still couldn't be hungry. They also stopped at a McDonald's just before pulling in for the night.

"Yeah, well...I'm just hungry, what do you want from me?"

Lauren remembered there was a vending machine just down the hall in a little nook in the wall. "We've got vending machines right down the hall."

"As if anyone's going to go out there." Olivia muttered.

"I'll go with you, if you want." While Lauren began to rummage through her skirt pockets for spare change, Olivia spied Jacob grinning from ear to ear. Something was definitely about to spark between the two.

"Yeah, it'd be better not to go alone, you know." The two headed for the door, but not before stopping to stare at the doorknob cautiously.

Solomon called after them. "Just knock when you get back. Actually, knock to the beat of _Get On Outta Here_, just so we know it's really you."

Together they stepped out into the hallway, with everyone else leaning in to watch what would happen next. Nothing. With the coast clear, Lauren led her love interest towards the snack machine.

Olivia jumped up and ran across the room to slam herself into the door and lock it tight.

"We just sent them out to die, didn't we?"

"Sure 'nuff."

The floors did not creak beneath their feet as the couple turned the corner. The air was cold, however, making Lauren's bare arms shiver. Stupid uniform. But she was happy when Jacob offered his own jacket.

"Thanks." She huddled herself into the warmth.

"No problem. You're pretty brave for coming out here with me, you know?"

"Nah, I'm just hungry like you." Lauren thought aloud, "Also doesn't hurt that I have a thing for you."

"What?"

"Nothing. Here's the machine."

The vending machines were pretty nice for a rundown hotel like the Gatsby. Filled with Twinkies, peanuts, those chalky, off-brand cookies, and plenty of different chip brands, the inside was a glorious array of a sugary heart attack. Jacob stuffed in his dollar bill and pressed the glowing buttons, in return receiving a pack of cream-filled cupcakes and a bag of Doritos. Lauren was more health-oriented and chose the peanuts, instead.

She glanced at his handful of snacks. "I just don't feel like dying today."

Picking up on her joke, he just laughed. "If we do, I want to go full and happy."

A sudden flicker of the lights overhead interrupted their laughter. Lauren blinked, not quite sure if it was just her imagination. But the lights buzzed in their sockets. Then, one at a time, the lights went out, a good number of the bulbs combusting and sending off sparks through the air as the broken glass fell to the floor. Lauren heard herself squeal and she moved to clutch at the closest object, Jacob's arm. The drummer watched in horror as the lights continued to break. Neither could muster up the courage to move, their bodies numb with fright. The last remaining light flickered above the door of room 1207.

"Oh god. It knows we're here."


	5. He's a Blank One

Back inside the room, the others were waiting for their friends to return safely. They had listened at the door until they could no longer hear the faint shuffling of their steps.

Solomon was pacing back and forth, making Derek quite dizzy. "They've been gone for a while."

"The vending machines are a good ways down the hall." Olivia was now straddling Josh's bass guitar in her lap, mindlessly plucking each cord. He was intently watching from his seat. "I'm sure they're fine," she fibbed.

As Olivia hit a chord, the lights in the room flickered, buzzing loudly. Nathan jerked from his snooze. He noticed Isaac was scrambling for his camera, determined to catch another bit of the action. Everyone watched the lights blink and die.

"Guess the power's going out again." Olivia thought aloud, hoping it was just that.

"I don't think so." Josh said. He pointed towards the door where a sliver of light was shining from the hallway.

A shriek echoed from outside.

"Lauren!"

"Or Jake." Solomon laughed, earning a smack from his younger brother.

Olivia ran for the door, but not before Josh grabbed her and scooped her into his arms. "No! Wait."

Confused and worried for her friend's safety, Olivia tossed him a peeved look, but said nothing.

Solomon waited at the door, hand resting on the lock. He jumped when a loud storm of pounding bounced off the walls. It took him a second to recognize that the pounding was against the door, bending the old wood beneath the weight.

"Open the door!" Olivia shouted at his back, still restrained by the bassist's strong grip. She would have her time to fawn over this later. Right now, her friend was trying to reach their safe haven and Solomon was standing in her way. And Jacob's too, of course.

The singer only stared at her blankly, as if he was unsure of what was happening around him. Nathan also noticed his unusual attitude. He watched his friend's eyes flicker from one face to another. He was ready to interject when he was stopped by another shout from the struggling maid.

"Solomon Jerome Olds, you open that door right now!" Olivia screamed, nearly glaring daggers.

The room was silent with everyone waiting for Soli's next move. The pounding from outside was growing louder and more panicked. They could plainly hear Jacob's voice calling for them.

Slowly, Solomon turned the lock, letting his hand fall limply to his side. Lauren and Jacob ran into the room, collapsing onto the bed to collect themselves. Josh finally released Olivia who then ran to her friend's side, questioning her and trying to calm her down. She was hysterical.

"What happened?" Nathan asked, putting a hand on Jacob's shoulder. Derek and Josh looked on with Isaac sneaking in his camera for a close-up. Nothing like exploiting your friend's emotions for entertainment.

"This place is haunted, just like you said." Jacob gave Derek a nod. At this, the guitarist's eyes went wide. He was right, for once!

"What do you mean?" Nathan was still intent on not believing anything supernatural was behind all this.

"Outside...the lights just...blew up! One by one... but there's one light still above the door."

Josh shook his head. "That doesn't prove anything. Just a freak accident."

"But the lights in here went off, too." Isaac reminded them, turning his camera towards the girls now. Olivia gave him a shove.

She was tired of running from the inevitable. "Look, obviously, something's up. And it's freaking me out." Lauren was still catching her breath.

"Then what should we do?" Nathan challenged. Olivia narrowed her eyes, not in the mood to deal with any more attitude. "We should split up."

"No way! You know what happens when people do that?"

"Just here me out. Maybe if we split up, it'll confuse whatever's out there."

Solomon scoffed. "Or just kill us off one by one."

"I say we give it a shot." Derek shrugged. "What could it hurt?"

"And we'd be in rooms beside one another, so if we hear someone's in trouble, we can come in and check on them."

"I say we go for it." Lauren finally spoke up.

So they decided to split into groups of two. Nathan and Isaac volunteered to take a room. Olivia handed them a key to room 1203. Derek thankfully offered to room with Solomon. He mentioned something about trying to figure out what was going on with his friend, and she wished him the best of luck. Solomon followed after, looking a bit pale and disoriented.

Lauren felt her heart leap when Jacob suggested the two of them take a room. Olivia gave them a key to the room next door and smiled at the goofy look on her friend's face as Jacob led her out the door.

"Cool, who's next?"

"Just us."

Olivia looked up at Josh who was hovering over her just slightly. "Oh."

He smirked at her reddened cheeks.

In the next room over, Lauren and Jacob were just locking the door. They made an attempt to try the lights, but they too were blown in their sockets. The room hadn't been used for a while now, so the staff had not bothered to hang new drapes, so the light from the moon was enough.

"Why didn't you just bunk with your brother?" Lauren took a seat on the bed, crossing her legs and adjusting her skirt from riding up her thighs. What she wouldn't give for a good pair of jeans right now.

Jacob shrugged. "I put up with him enough, anyway. Besides, I think you're friend doesn't mind." He laughed. Before he had left the room, he had slipped Josh a wink and pointed at the back of the maid's head, to which his brother only shook his head and nearly kicked him out the door.

Lauren found herself laughing. "You think Olivia likes Josh? C'mon, no way." She tried to cover for her, but Jacob gave her a funny look.

"She totally has a thing for him."

"I know."

They laughed together, feeling a bit easy now. It was a nice feeling to be with someone who could put you at ease during a troubling time. The lingering haunting was briefly pushed aside.

Across the hall, Derek was trying to engage Solomon in a bit of conversation, but nothing seemed to lift the small man's spirits. He cradled his head in his hands, staring down at the carpet flooring with dead eyes. But Derek failed to notice as he continued to ramble on about more of his theories.

Solomon shook his head, running his slender fingers through his black locks. He felt like he was falling. Clenching his eyes closed, he tried to clear his head of all the strange visuals dancing through his head. Shades of red, yellow and teal greens melded into a black abyss. He briefly recalled a friend once explaining to him what a hallucination was. If it was anything like he said, it was this. He felt his friend place a heavy hand on his shoulder, but a sudden thought made him shove him away. The colors became violet, a nauseating color.

Derek certainly did not expect to find himself tossed to the floor with his friend's hands wrapped tightly around his throat.

This was new.


	6. Six at A Time

If there was one thing in the world Olivia couldn't stand, it was staring.

Now to be fair, she could certainly stare down a good photograph of her favorite band. But when the band, or should we say _band member_, is staring back, it gets a bit uncomfortable.

Josh sat across from Olivia at the secretary desk the small hotel room offered. He drummed his fingertips along his knee while he stared the young maid down. It's not like he didn't know it was probably making her uncomfortable. Without the ability to connect with anyone on his cellular as he would normally be doing, he found himself finding small amusement in her fidgeting. He had to hold back a chuckle as she stared down at her uniform black slippers and wring the hem of her skirt.

Feeling a bit put on the spot, Olivia refused to look at anything except her nervous hands. She knew he was staring at her, and she silently cursed her shy nature. She really wished she could be more open like Lauren, who was probably having a ball in the next room over with Jacob. Why couldn't she be like her? Why?

Josh coughed, spooking Olivia into jumping in her seat along the bed.

"What's wrong?" he finally asked, getting a bit concerned about her nervous attitude.

She looked up, tossing her hair out of her face and scoffed, "In case you haven't noticed, this is kind of awkward for me."

"Me, too." He looked around the small room, taking in the antique furniture. It was a pretty sweet place. Josh had been teased at time for his tastes, more so by his older brother than anyone, but he couldn't help but enjoy the Victorian wallpaper and brass beds. Maybe he was a bit of a momma's boy. "But you know, it's nice to get away from them once in a while."

Olivia lifted her head. "Really?"

"Sure. I mean, I love 'em to death, but I need a break every now and then, you know? You got siblings?"

"No, I'm an only child. Thank God."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah. I was supposed to be a twin, actually, but...I don't know, the other one just...disappeared, apparently."

"Huh. That is weird."

Olivia laughed, feeling a bit more relaxed now that they had a conversation going. Hopefully they could keep it up before she could fumble and say something stupid. "Tell me about it. But I like to be alone sometimes."

Josh could understand. He was often referred to as the quiet one of the group, and it made sense since he liked to wander off on his own. But even he got lonely from time to time, especially after he had been tossed aside so many years ago. It was hard for him to trust others now.

"You ever get lonely, though?" he surprised himself by asking.

She looked back down at the floor. "Yeah, I do."

Not really understand what he was doing, Josh crossed the room and took the seat by her side. As she felt the mattress sink from their weight, the springs creaked beneath them. 'Oh man, stay focused.' Olivia pushed aside her thoughts, her face burning red.

"I do, too."

They didn't speak for a few minutes, neither of them having much to add. But finally Olivia looked up at him and spoke softly, "I like you."

Josh, a bit taken aback, actually managed a genuine smile. "Yeah, you're pretty cool yourself."

"These beds are old as dirt."

Lauren looked up from her lap to watch her companion sit crossed-legged along the mattress and bounce up and down, making the rusted springs creak obnoxiously.

"Don't I know it. But we can't afford to buy new mattresses."

"Seriously? But this place is fancy like the Queen's underwear!"

Not really sure what Jacob was really trying to say, Lauren just shook her head and slapped the covers, watching a smoky cloud of dust billow up around her face. "Not really. It may look that way, but we're cheap. How much did you guys pay for the night?"

Jacob had to think for a moment. "$75, I think."

"Exactly. We get paid near jack squat and this hotel rakes in enough to keep us on our knees scrubbing the floors with a job. No one rarely stays here and actually enjoys it."

Olivia and Lauren had managed to find these jobs through an ad in the paper. The very back of the paper, to make it worse. That was where the disgusting personal ads and desperate 'Ask Anne's' were usually printed. But paying for their final year of college wasn't going to be easy, so they picked themselves up and applied for the open maid positions. They were called back the very next day to come in and begin their first day of work. The place was piss-poor, but at least it paid.

"Oh. Well, that sucks."

"It's a living." She shrugged, kicking off her slippers.

As Lauren decided to lie back along the comforter, Jacob watched her stretch out and relax. It was so funny how just moments ago, everyone was in a panic, but now it felt as if there was a small light at the end of the tunnel. Maybe, just maybe, it all was a coincidence. All in their heads, so to speak.

"Lauren?"

"Hm?" she stared up at the ceiling, tracing the tiles with her eyes.

Jacob opened his mouth to speak, but he dismissed the question and instead tumbled back along the pillows by her head. "Nothing."

Just as Lauren felt sleep nearly overtake her, she felt the warm touch of Jacob's hand over hers, his fingers wrapping around her slender digits. Her heart fluttered at the contact, but she kept her cool as he lifted her wrist and traced his fingertips lightly over the back of her hand. Goosebumps followed after.

"You don't mind, do you?" she heard him speak up from her side, his voice low in her ear.

"No." she bit her lip to fight back her grin.

Jacob laughed and tickled her pale palm, making her giggle and squirm. He could get used to that.

Isaac couldn't get over the great footage he had managed to score. He reviewed the videos over and over again, perfectly catching the screams and horrified reactions of the others. Did it make him a bad person for laughing? Maybe, but it was funny just the same.

"Would you cut it out?" Nathan looked over his shoulder, reaching to find the off button. "I'm sick of seeing that. You are going to delete it, aren't you?"

"Of course not! This would make great Really Real Show material."

"I don't think Solomon would be happy if our good name was slandered by our screaming like 5 year olds who saw a monster in their closet."

"Maybe. I can't afford to be out of a job..."

Nathan sat back in his seat, staring out of the window at the glowing city below. Why didn't anyone see anything? Didn't someone hear the commotion? But he figured they hadn't, since the cars continued to pass along the freeway and he hadn't heard a siren go off.

"It's a little weird, don't you think?"

Caught off guard by Nathan's tone, Isaac put down the camera for once and sat back to listen to what his friend had to say. "What is?"

"It's almost like we don't exist. No police cars, no firetrucks rushing through traffic to pull us out of any rubble. It feels like this place doesn't exist somehow."

Isaac wasn't sure of how to take that. "That's pretty deep."

"I know. Ugh, this whole thing has thrown me over. I'm going to lie down for a bit." With that said, he took the bed by the windows and sprawled onto his back, taking in a deep breath and letting the quiet of the room overtake him.

"I guess I'll just...look over the footage some more." So by his lonesome, Isaac pressed the rewind button and with tired eyes, watched the recordings over again.

"You know, I've always wanted a tattoo."

For the past hour, Josh and Olivia had been discussing an array of topics, from traveling to horror films to Jacob's cravings for high-calorie snacks. Becoming more relaxed around her object of affection, she had laid back along the bed, her head cradled by the plush pillows.

"So get one." He spoke up, fiddling with a hole in his jeans.

"Eventually. But I don't want to rush it."

"Where would you get it?"

Olivia thought about that for a moment. She had several ideas of where she would put it, but one specific spot came to mind. "Here, probably."

Josh looked back at where her chipped, silver polished nail was indicating. She had raised the hem of her shirt, still being completely modest, and was pointing at the pale, exposed skin of her hip, just above her skirt's waistline. He swallowed down the lump that was caught in his throat as she went on to explain.

"It'll be easy to hide and probably something small, so...I don't know. Either that or somewhere on my wrist."

"Like mine?" he raised his arm and looked back down at the two black bars that circled his wrist.

"I love those, by the way!" she said with a bit too much enthusiasm, raising herself up off the bed and taking the seat at his side once more.

"Yeah?" he laughed, watching her blue eyes widen as she inspected the dark ink.

She shook her head. "I can't explain why, but those are my favorite. Maybe it's..." she stopped short, biting at her lip to figure out a way to say it without sounding like a complete creep.

"What?"

"Don't laugh, but, I have this thing about hands and wrists. I know it sounds stupid, but...yeah, it's stupid. Sorry." She placed her hands back in her lap, restraining herself even further from behaving like a freak. This is why she hated being in awkward situations; she always made a fool of herself.

"No it's not stupid. I get it."

"Ugh, no, I'm sorry. I just—"

"Hey." Grabbing her shoulder, he managed to stop her nervous squirming. Her freckled face went red. "It's not stupid. And stop apologizing for everything."

The urge to reply with another 'I'm sorry' was too much. She opened her lips, but he had expected it.

"No." he said firmly, sending shivers down her spine. She gave him a nod.

"Good."

For a moment he froze, unsure of how to get himself out of their silence. So, improvising, he felt himself lean forward and brush her hair from her cheek, giving her temple a quick peck.

That apparently was the appropriate time for Olivia to fall into a red-faced bundle of embarrassment. He could only laugh.

Jacob brushed a strand of blonde hair from his face. Lauren had fallen asleep at his side, having been lulled by his ministrations. He wasn't quite used to such close contact with a woman he had...ah, romantic intentions towards, but he didn't mind if she had snuggled up to him in her sleep.

He started to feel himself nod off when he heard a loud thud from the room next door. Another quickly followed after, then the sounds of shuffling and a one last pound against the floorboards.

"Lauren, get up!" he shook her roughly. The drowsy maid rubbed at her eyes and felt herself being pulled from the bed.

"What? What's wrong?"

He threw open the door, still clutching her hand tightly in his own. His knuckles were white. "Something's wrong!"

Just then the door across from theirs flew open. Josh stood in the doorway, his concerned expression apparent as he searched his twin's face. Olivia peeked out from behind him, her dark blond hair tousled a bit. She had a slightly dazed look, making Lauren a bit suspicious, but there was no time for that now.

"You guys heard that, too?" Josh asked, his eyes flickering from his brother to the other room.

Jacob nodded. The door opposite of them flung open with Nathan practically shoving Isaac out of the room, the poor man still clutching his camera. Of course he was recording.

"That's Solomon and Derek's room."

Everyone made a dash for the other door, Josh being the first to nearly break down the door, much to Olivia's impressed delight, while the others peered from behind him.

It was certain that no one had expected to find an unconscious Derek lying across the room with a dead-eyed Solomon towering over his body. The short man was panting harshly, his breath coming out in cold wisps. Shaking in his coat, he turned towards the open door, taking in everyone's horrified expressions with darkened eyes.

He spoke, his voice scratchy and gasping for breath.

"Crap. I forgot about you all."


	7. Who I Am

No one could tear their eyes away from the scene before them.

Nathan made a move to run to his fallen friend, but Olivia held him back, her eyes darting from the dj to Solomon, sheer panic written all over her face.

"Sol..." Jacob squeaked, still hiding behind his younger brother. "What's wrong—"

"Shut up. You know good and well he's not here." Solomon's lips were moving, but it definitely wasn't him talking. His posture was different, also. His spine was ramrod straight, his shoulders lax. If he ever carried his ego on his sleeve before, he certainly was now.

"What the living hell..." Olivia's eyes scanned the room. It was like Derek hadn't even bothered to put up a fight. Even when his friend's hands were wrapped around his scrawny neck, he was too kind to push him off.

"So who are you?" Josh played along. The last thing he wanted to believe was that something possessed his brother. He didn't buy into that kind of crap.

"Wouldn't you like to know." "Solomon" kicked at Derek's side.

"We would, actually." From behind Jacob, Lauren couldn't see much, but she could hear every word.

"I'll tell you. One of you, anyway." With vacant eyes he scanned faces until he fell on the trembling blond hiding behind his host's younger brother. "The blond dame." He nodded, locking eyes with her.

Everyone turned to Lauren, looking to her with concern and confusion. Josh stepped aside, but kept his eyes on his brother as she stepped forward.

"This is crazy!" Olivia hissed quietly, tugging at Josh's shirt. "What if he attacks her next?"

"Hush." He said simply. The maid blinked, unsure of how to take his command. But she did as she was told.

"You're a pretty one, ain't ya?" "Solomon" lifted Lauren's chin, studying her frightened features. In any other moment, she would have blushed at his compliment. But this wasn't the singer she had come to admire and look up to.

"You all better stay put." He glared towards the others still hovering in the doorway.

Suddenly his hands flew from his sides, gripping Lauren's blond locks and pressing the palms of his fingers tight against her skull. A surge of pressure rushed through her brain, throbbing and pounding at her skull like a killer migraine.

When she opened her eyes, she was staring into Solomon's face, but saw someone else instead. A young man with defined cheekbones and green eyes stared through her. On his head was a paperboy's cap. Lauren felt herself step back, observing the scene before her.

Looking around, she stood in the middle a cobblestone street, surrounded by rushing buggies and older men in business suits. Women in frilly skirts seemed to float down the sidewalks. Car horns echoed all around, bouncing off the surrounding brick bakeries and other various stores. She watched the green-eyed man glare up at towering hotel with the name "The Gatsby" spelt out in golden letters. Where in God's name was she?

In the man's hand was a newspaper, and upon closer inspection, the date atop the dirty paper read "July 16, 1928."

"What?" That couldn't be right. But as a small black buggy drove by, she realized it had to be true.

"Come on, Nigel." A voice called behind her. The man turned and walked towards the waiting pick up. Dirty men in greased overalls were gathered in the bed of the truck, waiting for him to climb inside. "We ain't got time for this." One of the men spit a wad of tobacco onto the pavement. Lovely.

"Just saying goodbye." Nigel, the green-eyed man, spoke softly, throwing his suitcase into the crowd and sitting atop of it. His shaggy black hair stuck out from beneath his cap, glistening with oil in the sunlight. Lauren noticed he held a striking resemblance to Solomon.

"You don't say goodbye to a building, you twit." One of the larger men growled, lighting his cigar.

"I know that." Nigel sighed, scratching his scalp. "But this place was my home, ya know?"

"Well it ain't no more. Say goodbye, city boy." A burly man with a horrible five o'clock shadow slammed the bed door and climbed into the driver's seat, started the engine, and drove away. Lauren watched Nigel's face turn back towards the hotel as they sped off towards the countryside.

Spotting a nearby newsstand, she ran across the street, avoiding the oncoming traffic and weaving through the crowd. She picked up a paper, looking over the front page. A black and white photograph of a older gentleman wearing a dusty top hat depicted a scene of both triumph and treacle. The man clutched a deed in one hand was shaking the hand of the mayor with the other. The headline read above in bold lettering, "Dr. Archibald Montgomery: New Owner of The Gatsby."

The article went on with a story of how the original owner, a Mr. George Clenner, had passed on and had originally left the deed to his son, Nigel Clenner.

"Wait a second..."

Nigel?

The young man's words echoed in the back of her mind: "But this place was my home, ya know?"

Now it all made sense.

Lauren felt the pressure ease from her body, the sepia toned world around her evaporating and returning to the dark eyes of Solomon. She hadn't moved an inch.

"Nigel..." she felt the name roll off her lips. Her breathing was uneasy.

"Solomon" gave a curt nod and released her head. She tumbled to the floor at his feet.

"Lauren!" Jacob pushed past Josh, rushing to her side and collecting her limp body in his arms. "Solomon" paid him no mind.

"What the hell did you do to her?" Olivia shoved Josh aside. He didn't bother to stop her. Watching her take control of the situation made him a bit hot under the collar.

"She's fine." Flipping out a toothpick, "Solomon" stared down Olivia.

"She doesn't look fine to me."

Nathan slipped from behind the others, past Isaac who was still filming the action, and made his way over to his unconscious friend. Checking his pulse, he took a breath of relief.

"Listen, you little pudge, she's—"

The slap across his face was loud and painful. Everyone looked on with shock as they waited to see the next move.

Olivia pulled back her hand. "She better be okay or you're going to be six feet under by the end of the night."

"Solomon" rubbed his cheek, feeling the red hot sting of the impact. "Right."

"What's it going to take to get you out of my brother's body..." Josh asked, glaring the shorter man down.

"Oh, you actually believe now? What brought that around?"

"My brother can be a jerk, but he would never hurt his friends and he knows his place."

"Why did you even pick on him?" Nathan asked from across the room.

"He looked like me. When I was younger..." he glanced down at the blond girl, still being cradled in Jacob's lap. "She knows..."

"This explains a lot." Olivia commented, still keeping her eyes on him.

"How so?" he smirked.

"He went to check on the phone line earlier, remember?" she looked back towards Josh and Isaac. "He came back and the phone was busted. He said he couldn't remember anything from that moment. It's because he was...in the process of being possessed."

The silence that followed was eerie, and set everyone on edge. "Solomon" stood in the center of the room, all eyes on him.

"It's true." He said, tossing the toothpick to the floor.

"Look, I may not understand why you're in his body, but we want you to get out."

"And why would I do that?"

"Because you're not happy."

Everyone turned towards Jacob. Lauren was beginning to sit up, keeping herself steady by clinging to the drummer's arm. "I know what you want, but you won't be able to have it. You're dead, Nigel."

"Shut up!" he roared, tossing her a dirty look.

"You've got to accept it. You can't have the hotel. It's not possible."

"I can! I can stay in this body and..." he stopped, eyes roaming the room. He took in the faces of those surrounding him. He saw anger, confusion, and in the brown eyes of Lauren, sadness. "I can stay..."

"You can't keep him forever, Nigel. It won't work."

"Solomon" sat along the bed, his hands shaking. She was right. Why did it decide to dawn on him now that he would not be able to reclaim what was rightfully his? Maybe it was because in all the years that he had been dead, he never spoke to a soul. He had never shown anyone his story... He had never bothered to reach out.

"I know." He said solemnly, his head hanging low.

"Okay, I don't know what is going on, but can we please just wrap this up?" Olivia huffed, looking from her friend to the possessed singer.

"What do I do?" he asked, looking towards Lauren.

"You can stay here. Haunt the hallways, scare our boss, if she's still alive...but we just want our friend back. Me and Olivia work here, so you'll still see us!"

Olivia scoffed."Joy."

"Solomon" gave a nod, stood from his seat, and gave the blond a parting hug. "I'm sorry. I let myself get out of control." He whispered, patting her golden hair.

"It's okay. I understand." And she did. He knew it.

Lauren released her grip on Solomon's body and stepped back to see his brown eyes bright and alive once again.

"Why am I hugging you?"


End file.
